The Mira-Nila House is a historic mansion building in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Situated along Mariposa Street in Cubao, the building owned by the Benitez family is a declared Heritage House by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines,[1] and one of the only two such declared houses in Metro Manila along with the Lichauco Heritage House in Santa Ana, Manila. The building currently houses a museum.[2]
| Mira-Nila House | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Town or city | Quezon City |
| Country | Philippines |
| Coordinates | 14°36′41.26″N 121°3′0.18″E / 14.6114611°N 121.0500500°E |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Owner | Benitez family |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Francisca and Conrado Benítez |
| Designations | Heritage House (2011-04-07; by the NHCP) |
| Website | |
| https://www.miranila.org | |
| References | |
| [1][2] | |
Architecture and design
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The Mira-Nila is an Art Deco building inspired from the design of houses of similar architectural style in Florence, Italy. The house is four storeys high, has a basement, and a tower which served as an observation point. The design of the building was reportedly largely unaltered.[1] The house's name came from the phrase "mira a Manila" ("look at Manila"), exclaimed by Helena Benitez, daughter of the owners of the house, when a fire broke out inside Intramuros in the 1930s.[3]
A catalogue of Florentine houses from a Magazine brought home by three sisters of Francisca and Conrado Benítez from a Europe trip served as reference for the design. The Benitez couple themselves were responsible for the architectural design of the building and opted not to commission an architect.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Yap, DJ (June 26, 2011). "Helena Benitez turns 97, home now heritage site". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ a b Mirat, Alma Cruz (April 3, 2019). "Benitez historic mansion now open as a museum, heritage site". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 22, 2019.
- ^ "MiraNila Press Kit" (PDF). MiraNila Heritage House & Library. p. 2. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
External links
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